Phillies hire Juan Samuel to be third base coach

The Phillies have filled the spot on their coaching staff vacated by Davey Lopes with a familiar face: former Phillie Juan Samuel has been hired to be the new third base coach, while Sam Perlozzo will move from third base to first base coach.

Samuel, who played seven years with the Phillies back in the 80's, has bounced around in various coaching positions since he retired back in 1998, including being a third base coach for the Tigers and Orioles while also managing the Mets Double A team. Samuel also spent some time as the interim manager for the Orioles last year.

As a kid, Juan Samuel was one of my favorite Phillies. While he didn't exactly put up great offensive numbers, he was a three-time All-Star and was one of the more exciting players on some mediocre Phillies teams. It'll be nice to see him back in a Phillies uniform for the first time in over 20 years.